Vegetables get star treatment

Don't call it vegetarian. Chefs of all stripes are rocking the vegetable in creative new ways, under the banner of "plant-forward" cuisine. No more plunking a spear of steamed broccoli on the plate like an obligation. It's hot to make plants exciting.

Amanda Cohen is chef of the popular restaurant Dirt Candy in New York City, an award-winning vegetable restaurant. She doesn't like labeling her place "vegetarian."

"To me, vegetarian and vegan cooking are about cooking to support a lifestyle," Cohen said in an interview. "It's about saying no to meat and animal products. I'm interested in saying yes to vegetables."

Saying yes means taking a deep dive into every vegetable, to see what it can become.

"Dirt Candy is my lab and every day we're pushing to see what can be done with vegetables. It's a never-ending experiment. Vegetables are so underexplored that playing with them is like being in the Wild West. There are no rules, and anything is possible," she said.

Of course, home cooks can rock their vegetables, too.

"My best advice for home cooks is either cook things way longer or way shorter than you're used to. If you're roasting, really go low and slow to bring out the sugars you want. If you're sautéing, then go high and fast to retain their color and crunch," advised Cohen.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: When I dined at Dirt Candy, I had a plate in which zucchini had been prepared in at least six ways, from raw zucchini noodles to a creamy sauce, some pickled, some crisped, some smoked. This is a simpler version of that approach. From Robin Asbell.

• 1 c. slivered almonds

• 2 lb. young carrots with tops, or slender regular carrots

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1/4 c. whole milk, or almond milk

• 3 tbsp. orange juice, preferably fresh

• 1 pinch cayenne

• 1/2 c. carrot top leaves, or fresh parsley

• 2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

To toast almonds: Cook almonds in sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned; set aside.

To prepare carrots: Scrub the young carrots and drain. Take half of a 1-pound bunch and set aside to use for sauce. Cut the tops off the remaining carrots, leaving about 2 inches of stem intact on each carrot. Rinse the greens and reserve a packed ½ cup for the gremolata, and save the rest for another use. Peel the carrots, very lightly, and use a paring knife to trim away any dirt from the carrot tops, and rinsing any grit from the stems. Pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the trimmed carrots on a sheet pan, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Roast the carrots, shaking the pan to roll them around a bit at the halfway mark, for a total of 30 minutes. When the tips are darkened and the carrots are very soft when pierced with a paring knife, they are done. If using thicker carrots, peel and slice lengthwise in quarters to make thin strips, and proceed.

To make the sauce: While the carrots roast, peel and slice the reserved half bunch of carrots. It should make about 1 cup of sliced carrots.

Set up a steamer and bring the water to a boil, and place the sliced carrots and 1/4 cup toasted almonds in the steamer. Put the steamer in the pot, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Take the steamer out and let cool slightly.

Put the sauce in a small saucepan to heat just before serving.

To make the gremolata: Finely mince the carrot tops or parsley leaves. Add the remaining almonds and lemon zest to the pile of minced leaves and finely chop, mincing it all together. Place mixture in a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

To serve, gently heat the sauce just until hot, stirring constantly. Pour the sauce on a serving platter (or each individual dinner plate) and then arrange the roasted carrots on the sauce. Sprinkle with the gremolata and serve.

Nutrition information per seach of 6 servings:

Calories230Fat16 gSodium420 mg

Protein6 gCholesterol1 mgDietary fiber6 g

Exchanges per serving: ½ carb, 1 high-fat protein, 1 ½ fat.